Method of and means for balancing draft in tunnel-kilns.



.1, B. OWENS] u METHOD 0F AND MEANS FOR BALANCNG SHAFT \N TUNN'L KILNS. 1,278,991.

APPLICATION FlLEDl NOV. l5. |91/` l 1. B. OWENS. .METHOD UF ANU MEANS FOP ALANCNG [IRM-' IN TUNNEL KILNS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. Hi, HH]y 1,278,991. iwmnmfami. 17,1915,

2 SHEEl-SHEET 2.

C- l. 1. f qu tain@ cation between the ports 14 and-the main flue 111. The regulation of these dempers.'

enables the'main draft from the kiln through the ports lalfto :be changed, as desired, irrespective of the controls now to be described.

Extending alongside the 'kiln on its' opposite sides are flues'l which open into the main draft flue 11 below the dempers l5 so.

that there is no interference witluregllla.- tion by the dampers 15 of the main draft. At vintervals the opposite sides ofthe kiln are proyidedwith. outlets or ports 17 at points between the 'main draft outlets 14 and the furnaces 5. Thev size and number of these outlets '17 may \1ar acqording to conditions. Each outlet is eont'r'olled .by a damper 1.8 of any desired t \'pe,'enabling the regulation of the. draft to be carried on at an point or pointsdesired.

'llhere are draft outlets 19, of any desired number, leading from that portion of the kiln proper 1 .which is located in advance of the main draft outlets 11i and between said outlets and the entry porti'on of the Akiln, said outlets 19 leading to lines 20 which communicate with the down-fines .12 below the dampers 15. Any suitable dampers 2l are provided for the outlets 19 so that any desired control. thereof may beobta'ined. The even 'graduation ot' heat in the tunnel throu h a wide range of temperaturesis obnot alonerby the use of the'outlet 17 and dampers 1S, but by drawing the heat beyond the main draftoutlets 14, that is, into Vso the entry portion of the kiln where the ware isfirst subject to the heat after leaving the air lock 1. In consequence, heating of thje ware begins in'nnediately it enters the kiln and is graduated from that point on, the regulation or graduation of the heat being accomplished by p .roperv setting of the dampers 212 as well as the dampers 15 and 18.

Referring to Fig. l, it will be seen that the outlets 14. (and likewise out-lets' 1T, 19) are located above .the refractory platform 3G of the car which carries the ware 37 vand that. the edges of said platform travel in channels 38 in the walls of the tunnel. The wheels 39 'run .0n rails 40. The mechanical parts of the car orconveyer are, therefore', locatedja space 41 below .-th'e platform; '36, Saidl space being filled with semi-inert air which acts as an insulator from the heat in ,the upper portion 42 of the tunnel'. The

semi-nertness ofthe air in the. space 41 isl due to the .fact that-'this space is sealed from the outside airand has no direct connec-A tion with any draft outlet, except by leak` age around the edges of .the platform 36 where they.l ooscly' project into .the chan nels 38.

.In the oor o f the kiln there are provided openings -44and 4,5 {Figs-1 and 3') which are controlledbydampers 46 and 47,'

als

respectively. Usually one or twoof these 'openings is sufficient, but their-numbermayl be increased according' to the requirements n nder which the kiln to be operated. Outside lair mayI-be supplied to the openings in any .preferred manner, a convenient plan b'eln r the revision of'inspection tunnels 48, 49, igs. 2, 3.. `These tunnels 48 49 may comnumicate with several kilns. 'suit-.. able adjustment of the dampers 46, 47, it is -75 possible to ,maintain a circulation of air rom the space 4below the protecting platform 36 upwardly through thel points of leakagefrom the space 4l toth'espace 4 2 at a. rate-which will not interfere with cons0 ditions to. bemaintained above theplatform 36, but which .will have suicient cooling aitl'ect to prevent the accumulation of injurious heat in the lspace 41 below the platform. In that connection, it is to' be noted 85 that however well the mechanical parts below the platform 36 may be insulated bythe said plat-forni and the semi-inert air space t1, it might be possible to accumulate in Jurious heat in the space 41 under extreme 90 conditions, if it. were not possible to'v renew i the supply ofair either at. intervals or'continuously, at the proper rate. .By thus dividing the tunnel into upper and lower strata, comprising an upperse 95 tion in which the 'burning operations `are' conducted at high temperature, and alwer section containing the mechanical parts for I carrying the ware, the temperature, lower section being maintained at a Se' 100"v eicntly low point no t to injure said mwl'ltllli g cal carrying parts, abalaneed conditqnx ists between the upper and lower which prevents, downward dra'ft from". .A lngher to the lower temperature .and renders' 105 possible the admission from below of sufficient cool airto maintain the loW tempera-- ture required in .the lower 4Scctill. This. methodof balancing of the draft renders im necessary the provision of sand seals 'or 110` means' to. hermetically. seal the".uppeI- .Seetion fro'm'th'e lower section.- lVhile Ihave'shownand desc'rlj" fthe-lili?- rention in connection with a kiln Stmk' as. set forth in. iny application 152444 (of which this applicati-ox1-isiliv division) to illustrate means` for causing-a.-

draft in the kiln to meinten the airlqihge draft. balancingmeans4 adapted' formaintaining an upper section in which the burninjury to the. warelconi'eying means, 'the said ippei" and lower sections being' sealed from each other except for air leakagefrom the lower section into the upper Section.

Q .Ina'- kiln. a conveyer having 'a wereA -snppi-irting deck o r platinim whiehsubstan- 'tiallvsub-divides the kiln i'nto an upper section in whichjlun-ning operations may be enn- (lueteil at high telnperatin'e. and a lower sect-ion 'in wlieh the teniperatnie'is maintained low enough-'to prevent injury to the. leon- \eyel', the said' upper am'l lower sections helng sealed from eachother exlrept for an' hnikagefroin the lower seetitin into the up` perr section. and regulable.means for aihnit- 4 ting' air` to the .lower `seetlion to-eontrol the air leakage antl to maintain the. relatively lon' tempe atlne required therein.

3. ln a kiln inning wareeonveying means. (lrziftlmlaneing means :nlap'teil for maintaining nn ,upper seetin in whirh the burn- .ing` ,ol)erations may lie coinlneteil .at high tenipeiaitllre;and a lower section in` which 'the tenipel'atfu're iS-|naintained low enough to' prevent injury to` the "ware-(ionveying means. the fsaitl upper nml lower seo-tions being: sealet'l troni each otherlexeept for air leakage 't'roni'the lower neetiou into the np- )er Section. alnl Controlling means for reguating the-air leakage 'from the lower section into the upper section.

l, ..\`.ki|.n ha ring an upper sertion in which the burning operations may he ronilueteil at high ten|pel'atl'|ri. a lower section containing sei. i-inel't air. :nul means tor eontrollahl)4 maintaining air leakage from the lower new tion into-theaipmr sertionpnaiil sertions hefr ing.otherwisegaealeil from each other.

A 'kiln having an upper.seetion' in which the lun-ning'operations may lie eenp1 ilueteil at. high temperature` a lower'seetion eontalning lnenn-inert, air, nieans pern'iitting Fair leakage ,fromt-her lower" section yinto the upper seetior1',"'siif 4regulable means for tidmitting gcooling ,airf lntorthe` lower, semi- 50.

inertfan, section', said-.disecti'ons -being other 6. A kiA Having :i'com-eyer provided with a ware-sii p'ortin deck or platform which, snbstantiz ly =sub-c ivide's the' kiln into an up? titi` per section "in which burning operations may he conducted at high ,tenipeinture', yand.

a lower section eonta'iningvseinieinertai4 servlngns an insulator toqgretentJ injury to the ware-conreying Ifnetns, lthe vseid. upper .60 and lower sections belngsealedfrom' each lertion into the upper section, and re lable, means for running admission of cooling airto the lower. or semi-inert lair, section to 65 control the temperature therein. U

4i'. The -inethoi'l of'lala'ncing the draft in u; kiln Veln-i'ilqvingr-nuire-Siiipportin ineans, consistngin canning a regulate( Iiow ofiair leakage from the space helpw the waresupf 7`0 porting' ineans'to the spaceyin whichthe vware is lo glteil. l m- `he nieth'oil of'halfineing the draft inn" eontinuons tunnel kiln elilploying |ware-conF `veying niean.'consisting in eausing a'reguh:V I6 la'teil tiow ot' air leakage from thejspaee below the \vare-eon ije \'ing nieansto thehpaee:1

n' whit-h 4the wa-re tra tels, I l

9, The method of lfalnfelng;` the (lr'a'ft in` V a eontlnuous kiln haring upper and lower. 80

Aserlion'n eonsistinfrin maintaining control-` lable air lea-kag'efliioln the lower election into the upper VSection thereof'.y i' i f 1l)."l` he niethoil'otf balancing th'ekllfaft. in., a rontnnonn kiln haring \\a re supportingli means. ronnistinp` in inajnt'ainngn preiletermined air rurtain between the ware-sn iporting means and the walls ot' 'the kiln y air leakage from the spare below :the ivare` sup r is portingr means intothe spaei'etn' whieh the ware I s lrgateil.

ln testin'iny whereof. l hereunto l 

